1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle monitoring apparatus, and more particularly to a vehicle monitoring apparatus for attaching to various vehicles, such as four-wheeled vehicles, tricycles, motorcycles, bicycles, or other two-wheeled vehicles, etc., and having image taking devices or video cameras adjustable to different directions for broadening the rearward viewing for the vehicle drivers or riders.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical vehicles may comprise a display device provided in a rearview mirror of the vehicle, for showing or displaying various information for the drivers of the vehicles, such as inside temperature in the vehicle, the humidity in the vehicle, the air pressure, the pollution content within the vehicle, the light intensity outside the vehicle, the map of the environment, etc.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,638 to Kaspar et al. discloses a typical information system in a motor vehicle, including one or more electric circuits connected to a vehicle computer of the motor vehicle and one or more sensors, and a display device for displaying information for drivers. However, the typical information system may not be used to show or to view or to see the objects or views behind the vehicles.
The other typical vehicle monitoring apparatuses have been developed and comprise three or more image taking devices or video cameras attached to two front side portions and a rear portion of vehicles, for taking images or views behind the vehicles, and for allowing the drivers to clearly see the objects or views behind the vehicles.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,443 to Hsieh discloses one of the typical vehicle monitoring apparatuses comprising a display device coupled to three or more video cameras, for taking images or views behind the two side portions and the rear portion of the vehicles, and for allowing the drivers to clearly see the objects or views behind the vehicles via the display device.
However, the video cameras are solidly fixed to the vehicles, and may not be adjusted relative to the vehicles to different angular directions, such the rearward viewing of the vehicles is limited and may not be directed or adjusted to different viewing directions.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional vehicle monitoring apparatuses.